The Flame Alchemist
by funnybia
Summary: Amestris finds itself in the brink of war and violence as Team Mustang is left to try and maintain the delicate balance between great losses and tough decisions. Meanwhile, a quiet threat is looming ever nearer towards Amestris and somehow Ed and Al get caught up right in the middle of it. Post Manga. Aprox. 2 years after the promised day. All canon and canon implied pairings.
1. An Old Ending part 1

So yeah, this is my first fanfic, well... officially anyway. There might be some romance later on, but this is primarily not a romance. This is going to be a pretty long story and although I only wrote the first chapter I have a pretty good ideia about where it's going. Heeheehee... and I'm so excited about it! I actually divided my first chapter into four parts which I will be releasing on different days, consecutively that is. All of my chapters will probably be as long as this one, I have yet to decide whether or not I'll want to keep this chapter layout, dividing it into four and what not. I might just divide it into two next time or not divide it at all, I'll be counting on the reviewers to help me decide this, so after I've posted all four parts please tell me what you think. On another note, one day I hope to write a book and this fanfic is a very fun way for me to polish my writing skills, so don't hesitate in giving me constructive criticisms, I'll need it. All I have to say other than that is for you guys to be patient with the slow paced beginning, there will be plenty of action and plenty more drama later on. Oh... and one more thing, contrary to what the title might suggest, this fic will revolve around several of the FMA characters (although Roy is going to be one of the center characters)... well... you'll see for yourselves, I guess. One last thing (I swear, this time it really is), there will inevitably be a few OCs none of which will be main characters, some might be secondary characters though.

...ya I lied, there's still one thing left...

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Arakawa-sensei and the only person crazy enough to try to take it from her is Greed... who is now taking control of my body. Stop it greed! No I will not infringe copyright laws!

* * *

The day was extremely hot, he noticed, but nothing he wasn't used to and nothing that was unusual considering the particular place. As if answering his unspoken prayers a strong breeze came and took away most of his body heat. His robes fluttered in the wind almost like a flag and he couldn't help but smile to himself. For the first time in years he felt a bit light-hearted and _hopeful_, perhaps like he could take on the world. Yes. In the name of all that was lost and had once been and of all that was found and will be, he certainly could.

Where was he right now? That depended on what one meant. Emotionally, spiritually, physically?

Naturally, he couldn't erase the scars that life had burdened him with, but nowadays he learned to appreciate those scars, to draw strength from them. Perhaps that's why he kept the name.

He told people that he had forfeited his original name, people could call him what they wanted. The only problem was they didn't know _what_ to call him. 'Scar' seemed more than appropriate, after all, that was what most people called him anyway and he felt it had a deep symbology behind it.

Scar closed his eyes as another gust of wind blew, sronger than the last. He had made his amens with god and presented himself as a new man.

As for where he was physically: he was on top of a three story building. There were houses and buildings all around him, there were children playing in the streets and there were people walking here and there, mingling, buying, selling.

Scar looked to his side at his silent companion, a twelve year old boy. He was crouched down and, like Scar, was also near the edge of the building, observing the people and the places bellow. He had a rather messy curly hair, which Scar noted didn't match at all with his no nonsense, serious attitude.

The boy to Scar's other side was standing up like him and, different from the other boy's uncertain expression, showed great peace across his face. He had his eyes closed, just like Scar had a few seconds ago.

The boy that was crouched spoke, without looking up, "I'm happy that Ishval is being rebuilt, but not so much by Amestris' help."  
The boy then looked at Scar. "I understand that we need it, but they're hypocrites."

"'I'd rather practice hypocricy than not do good'," said the other boy, "those were the words of Dr. Rockbell a little before he died. I think I understand it. It's better to try to make up for your mistakes and be a hypocrite for it, than to do nothing and pretend you did nothing wrong."

To think the words of one of the men he killed would be repeated to him and with such a deep meaning, life was sure ironic, thought Scar.

The boy who was crouched took on a sitting position, with his legs dangling from the building. He looked from the other boy and once again surveyed the streets of this _new_ Ishval, not entirely convinced.

Scar sat beside the boy, crossing his legs, the second boy walked a few steps away from them and once again closed his eyes, his short white hair ruffled a little with another gust of wind. Scar's next words were directed at the boy sitting next to him. "I understand your resentment toward them and in no way am I telling you that you need to forgive them, but just like us everyone deserves a second chance and that includes the Amestrians. We are bound to each other, as interesting as it sounds opposites do infact attract. They depend on us to give them a chance to make up for their sins and we depend on them to give us a chance to start over."

"It is their fault we depend on each other."

Scar chuckled slightly, "That's true."

"And they could always mess this up."

"Hm. Perhaps it's my new found faith in God and maybe a little of the faith I have in my allies, but I believe Amestris is changing. There are new leaders who are willing to give us a chance, who are, compared to the last ones, a lot more sensible, wiser and intelligent."

* * *

Führer Grumman looked really pretty in his periwinkle blue dress. He twisted around to try and look at himself in different angles in the mirror. '_Very nice and it slightly accents my butt.'_

He took a few steps toward the mirror to check his makeup. _Perfect._ He could honestly say he looked beautiful, or at least remotely close to it. It was impressive, really, far better than the one he had used to talk to Mustang, he doubted the boy could so much as _guess_ who this extravagant woman _actually_ was.

The phone rang, on the drawer next to his bed. Honestly, he had to go all the way across the room to go and get it. Why did his room have to be so damn big? Oh well, it would give him a chance to practice walking on his high heels.

He was so mesmerised by his stunning look that when he picked up the phone he almost said 'hello' in a girlish voice. Luckily he caught himself after saying 'he-', cleared his throat and said in a bit of a forced masculine voice, "Hello? Führer Grumman."

He really must be losing it if he was slipping up like that. He chuckled to himself, couldn't let people know he was getting _too_ old, he couldn't _imagine_ the number of people who would push him to retire if they had the chance. And _honestly_, being Führer was too much fun to give up so suddenly, he said so himself to Mrs. Bradley just the other day.

"Sir," asked a male voice from the phone, "you told me to contact you as soon as General Mustang reached Central."  
The Führer smirked, "Hm. A bit late isn't he?"

"Actually, he arrived six days ago sir."

_ Six days?!_ He really _was_ getting old if the kid was outsmarting him like that! "How so," asked Grumman cautiously.

The man knew exactly what he meant, of course, he was a professional. "He booked everything from the train tickets to the hotel in different names, even presenting himself as a different person to almost everyone he met. He changed the hotel he was staying at everyday and kept several dopplegangers hanging around the city using Mustang's name, his bank acount and anything else that would give him away. Each of them would stay in multiple hotels and would change them every day. They were obviously being used to lead us off his trail, quite masterfully, I might add."

_Brilliant_, thought Grumman. Mustang's chess game was almost always flawless, but as usual, for Grumman, it was _check_ and _mate_.

"Where did you find him?"

"In _that_ place, afterwards it wasn't too hard to figure out the rest."

It had been on the day Mustang was promoted to General that Grumman came up with the offer, with the way the boy was always so enthusiastic, he had no doubt he would accept. Roy Mustang would be transferred to Central. If he could arrive in the city, at some point, in the week preceding his first day of work - on Monday - and remain in the city without being discovered by the Führer, then Grumman would personally renounce his title of Führer and hand it to Mustang. If the Flame Alchemist _did_ manage to win, Grumman would have a month to check and certify that he was actually in the city.

It would be difficult, of course. Roy _could_ just arrive on Sunday and as long as he managed to stay in the city without getting caught - until the day was over - he would win. On the other hand, the longer he took to arrive the easier it would be for Grumman to pinpoint the exact day he would come. Not to mention the obvious fact that he would be going against the _Führer_: a man with a lot of power and a lot of influence. Apparently Grumman underestimated his subordinate, or perhaps overestimated himself. General Mustang not _only_ arrived on the first day, but he managed to stay a whole _six_ days without getting caught.

His only mistake was his weakness: going to somewhere Grumman had marked from day one.

The detective he had hired was still on the phone waiting for his answer. Slowly Grumman smiled, "Give him a personal invitation from the Führer to join him for tea tommorow, tell him not to worry about his first day at work, I'll make the necessary calls."

A 'yessir' and a 'goodbye' later the Führer hung up. Good. He walked back to the mirror and looked himself over one last time before deciding to move on to disguise #16, the one he considered to be the master of them all.

He had just taken off his dress and makeup when someone knocked on the door. A women's voice - his maid - told him that his guest was there. _Perfect and right on cue_, he thought, smirking deviously.

* * *

A few minutes later the Führer was walking down the stairs, to meet his guest, looking as sharp as ever in his military uniform.  
After they were both seated and settled, Grumman decided he would get straight to the point, "I'm sorry, I know this is short notice, but I need some help with a particular subordinate of mine..."

* * *

"I'm going to _kill_ Ed," Winry said angrily to no one in particular. She was sitting on one of the many available seats in the train station.

"Last boarding call for South City," called a man in blue uniform.

There were quite a few people in the station. Some accompanied by others, walking slowly as they talked, others were nearly racing through trying to rapidly get in or out of the trains. There were crying children, laughter, a lot of voices conversing and even more footsteps coming to and from. One could feel very small and very lonely being in a big place like this filled with so many people.

She leaned further on her seat and sighed. How could she have such an idiot for a boyfriend? She told him only _ten times_ that he had to be here at eleven-o-clock, **eleven-o-clock**! It was now twelve. She could understand ten minutes late, maybe even twenty minutes, thirty minutes late was even a tiny bit acceptable (with the right excuse), but _one hour_ was absurd! It didn't matter _what_ excuse he came up with, she knew that the _real_ reason was that he got the time wrong, even though she warned him...

Honestly, it was a good thing that she was coming to Central to work on his automail leg, that means she had her wrench and she's going to _need_ her wrench. Winry watched as a whole new batch of people poured out from one of the trains, it was a bit overwhelming. She brought her suit case, her automail gear bag and her purse closer to her. _Oh Ed,_ **please**_ hurry up._

* * *

The middle-aged station guard looked closely at the paper in his hand, then looked at the person standing next to him, "All clear."

Twenty two. That was the amount of times he had said that and there was _more_ coming, honestly, what a boring job. Looking at the list of passengers and checking people's tickets to see if everything was in order, thank goodness it wasn't _his_ job. Right, he was just covering for a friend who would undoubtedly be here soon...

Thirty two 'alrights' later - plus six, 'are you sure this is you train' and two 'sir you can't get on if you don't have a ticket' - his "friend" came back from his "bathroom break" (because who the hell takes that long anyway?). He happily handed back (threw agressively) the passengers list and turned around to find a pretty, young lady standing in front of him. She had long blonde hair and amber eyes. Sure, why not, he didn't mind helping people out (as long as they didn't take advantage of him). "Do you need any help miss?"

She nodded, "Yes, can you give me information on the No.6 East Route Train?"

East route train, where was that again... "Oh, you mean the one headed from Ishval?"

She nodded once more and said, "Yes that's the one, it was supposed to arrive forty minutes ago. It didn't arrive early, did it? I've been here since eleven."

The man looked at her apologetically, "Actually we only just recieved news about that, it seems there was a mechanical problem with the train, it won't be arriving 'till Tuesday, same time." He smiled and added, "Waiting for someone special?"

Riza returned the smile, "Yes, a friend of mine."

She quickly glanced over the man's shoulder and returned her gaze to him only to look over his shoulder once more. Was that... Winry? The man must have noticed because he turned around as well. There were so many people constantly blocking her view of the young girl that it was hard to tell whether it really _was_ Winry. She wasn't called the Hawk's Eyes for nothing though, in a few seconds Riza was able to confirm that it definitely was Winry. A few seconds was also the time it took for Winry to get her purse stolen.

The Hawk's Eyes spotted the danger immediately when a hooded figure made his way closer to Winry. She tried to make her way through the crowd; that guy certainly meant trouble. The guard sensed the danger as well, following Riza toward the girl. They weren't quick enough.

The hooded figure grabbed Winry's suitcase and knocked it down. Just as he had planned, she instinctively tried to pull her suitcase away from him, letting go of her purse. He then snatched it and ran away.

Pretty straight forward but effective plan, thought Riza, his only mistake being looking back to check if there was anyone chasing after him. You should never look back when you're running. She used this momentary distraction to trip him, lucky he was headed her way. Make that two mistakes then: not looking where he was going and running into her. She slightly smirked to herself, _not that the second one could be helped_.

As soon as he hit the floor she pulled out her gun, "You're under arrest."

Well... technically she wasn't on duty... and she wasn't even a cop, but she definately was not going to give this guy a chance to get away. She turned to the security guard next to her, whom she just noticed also had a gun out, "Sorry," she said sincerely, "I guess this is your job..."

"No... that's ok," said the man, taken aback. "Are you a cop?"

She was wearing her ordinary clothes so there really was no way to tell.

"I'm from the military."

Riza eased her grip on the gun and started to lower it.

"Oh, of course..."

The man called for another station guard - while he still had his gun pointed - to search the thief for any hidden weapons. By the time he turned around to look at the young blonde she had already put her gun away, strangely enough she wasn't wearing a holster. _Where the hell..._

"Miss Riza?"

Winry was only a few meters from Riza who looked at her with a half smile and a face that said:_ Yeah... this is a pretty wierd situation_.

The guard who had been searching the now cuffed thief took out a knife from one of his pockets and looked at Winry, "It's a good thing you didn't react, miss. This could have ended pretty badly." He turned to look at Riza. "You should be careful as well, he could have pulled _this_ on you."

The other guard - the one standing next to Riza - put away his gun and couldn't help but think, 'Y_ou're saying that because you didn't see how fast she pulled out her gun... and who knows from where...'_

The second guard was very muscular, probably in his thirties, with one hand he managed to pull the thief on his feet and with the other he handed Winry her purse.

"Oh, thank you."

It was in that exact moment that the thief managed to break away from the guard's one-handed grip. The idea was to make an escape and worry about his cuffed hands later. Of course, things tend to go wrong when you have two strong headed woman standing in your way... well, so to speak.

And that was mistake number three, Riza counted: Of all the directions he could have run he decided to take the one where he would run right past both Riza and Winry. Literally a second after he started to run - almost right after he broke free - Riza tripped him once more and Winry complemented by smacking her purse on the back of his head as he stumbled (this ensured his fall). Being that both his hands were cuffed behind his back, his face hit the floor with a satisfying _smack_.

The middle-aged guard shook his head and gestured to the criminal. "They never learn." As he held down the man he looked at the two women next to him and said, "My apologies for the inconvenience, ladies."

"No that's fine," said Riza.

"Yeah," said Winry and they both said simultaneously, "I'm used to dealing with idiots like these."

* * *

With the guards gone Riza turned to Winry and said half smiling, "Nice hit."

"Thanks." '_You should see what I can do with automail equipment,' _she thought. "And thanks for my purse."

The older woman smiled. "No problem."

Winry looked at her curiously. "So what exactly brings you to the train station?"

She noticed Riza's lack of a luggage or suitcase so she couldn't be going on a train or getting off one. She also couldn't be on duty since she didn't have her uniform on.

"I came here to pick up a friend, but it turns out her arrival has been delayed for two days."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"How about you, did you just get here?"

Winry sighed with a mixture of frustration and exaustion, she was a little bit embarassed to admit that her boyfriend forgot about her. "Actually, I got here more than an hour ago. Ed was _supposed_ to pick me up, but..."

"He got the time mixed up," it wasn't a question but rather an affirmation, mixed in with a hint of humor.

Winry looked at her with slightly surprised, questioning eyes. She hadn't expected the older woman to finnish her sentence for her.

Riza, still with that bit of humor, explained, "The men at the office are _always_ forgetting things and getting dates mixed up, _especially_ my superior officer." She shook her head. "Honestly, I don't think that place would run if it weren't for me." Then Riza added, shrugging, "I guess Mrs. Hughes was right when she said that ninety percent of a man's brain is his wife... and I am practically married to my work so..."

"You've met Mrs. Hughes?"

Riza nodded, "We've talked before, usually in military conventions."

Winry nodded in return and started to look around the station with a worried expression. _When exactly will Ed be here?_

"Listen," began Riza, "I'm going to be heading out soon..."

Of course, Winry knew that Miss Riza probably had things to do and she didn't want to keep her from them, so despite the fact that it was nice having company while she waited for Ed she nodded and said, "Oh, ok."

Riza smiled affectionately at the disappointment Winry was trying to mask, obviously the girl had no way of knowing that Riza wasn't planning on leaving her here.

"... so why don't you come with me and I'll give you a ride to whatever hotel Edward is staying at."

"Oh," said Winry and the smile that shown on her face clearly said 'there's still a problem', "I actually don't know _where_ Ed is staying at."

Yes, this was most certainly problematic, but nothing that Hawkeye couldn't find a solution to. "I still don't think it's a good idea to leave you here alone, how about we go to my apartment? I'll make some calls and you can stay there until we find him."

Winry really didn't want to be a bother, but on the other hand she couldn't really disagree with what Miss Riza was saying... there was _still_ one tiny problem, "But what if Ed shows up looking for me?"

In Winry's opinion, Miss Riza's answer was perfect: the corner of her lips twitched upwards into a slight half smile and her eyes gleamed mischievously as she arched an eyebrow and said, "Well... he does deserve to suffer a little bit doesn't he?"

Well... Winry _was_ planning on making him suffer the old fashion way, but somehow she thought _this_ was a better idea, maybe it would teach him a lesson about the next time.

Winry's lips slowly curved into a smile as her eyes became as devious as her companion's, "Maybe just a little."

* * *

Riza drove out of the station, trying to decide whether or not she should go to where she was originally planning on going. She had wanted to go there since she arrived at Central, but hadn't had the chance. The train's delay, however, brought the oportunity that she needed. A whole day where she could do nothing and at the same time everything. If that made any sense. Now that Winry was here though, she really wasn't sure.

"Thank you so much for the help Miss Riza," said Winry from the passenger's seat.

She still felt like she was being a bother, but somehow Winry knew that no matter what she said the older woman would have insisted for her to come. It made her heart all warm and made it ache at the same time because it reminded her of someone else...

"It's no problem," she smiled warmly and managed to turn her head just a bit to look at the young girl, who in turn smiled back.  
Riza turned her focus back toward the road and gripped the steering wheel tightly. She _really_ wanted to go, she hadn't seen him in almost two years... she owed the idiot _that_ much...

"Winry... I... I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if we made a quick stop somewhere before we went to my apartment... you can stay in the car if you'd like."

Riza was surprised to find her voice shaking a little bit, she doubted Winry had noticed, it was almost imperceptible, but... it was still there. _Shit..._ even now that guy could still make her heart waver.

"No it's fine, I really don't mind. Where are you going?"

Riza had a knot in her stomach, maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Once again she gripped the steering wheel tightly, but not too tightly, so that Winry wouldn't notice. Riza kept her gaze forward and focused on the road, she couldn't look at those blue eyes, not even through her periferil vision as she spoke her next words. "I'm going to visit Brigadier General Hughes' grave," with immense amount of effort she managed to keep her voice steady.

She remembered when Winry, Alphonse and Edward had asked about Hughes a bit after his death... she couldn't look them in the eye and Roy couldn't tell them the truth. The way she was feeling now was only a fraction of what she had felt back then, like her heart had sunk... now it was just weighing. Maybe she should have left it for another day.

Against all her expectations Winry smiled, it was small and it was a bit sad, but a smile none the less.

"You were friends with him," Winry asked softly.

It felt like a stupid question, but Winry didn't know what else to say.

Riza softened her eyes and smiled slightly - more to herself then to Winry, since she refused to take her eyes off the road - and said with a tiny chuckle, "I doubt there was anyone in the military who _wasn't_ friends with him."

It was an overstatement, Winry knew, but she understood what Miss Riza meant.

Lt. Colonel Hughes... or was it Brigadier General now? It was a strange and sad feeling knowing that you would never see someone again - no, not just see someone again, but know that you'll never have the oportunity - , it was a feeling that Winry was all too familiar with, since her parents died. "Have you... I mean... other than Mr. Hughes..." Winry felt her voice failing... maybe it wasn't something she should ask.

Riza glanced at Winry and saw her sad and uncomfortable look, as if she had said something wrong. After returning her gaze to its original spot the soft words left her lips, "My mother... when I was eight."

After a moment of silence Winry got the courage to speak, "that's how old I was... when my parents..." her voice failed her once again as the water glimmering in her eyes threatened to spill.

Winry looked to the side, at the window, she didn't want Miss Riza to see her, just in case she really _did_ cry.

"It's a young age to lose someone," Riza said as she glanced at Winry.

"Yeah, it is." She gave a small chuckle. "Then again, I'm not sure there's a right age to lose some, I mean... doesn't it hurt either way?"

"Yes, but an adult can deal with the loss a lot better..."

Roy's flames flashed through Riza's head.

"...most of the time."

Nothing else was said throughout the rest of the car ride, neither one of them knew what exactly _should_ be said, although the prolonged silence made them wonder whether or not they said the right thing.

* * *

The car stopped in front of the cemetery. Still. Everything was still. At least... that was how time felt in a cemetery. To think they were only near one and they felt the full blast of its effect. Riza had planned the visit to Hughes' grave to be a light one, calm and relaxing, so why did the air around them feel so heavy? They hadn't even gotten out of the car. She wondered if Winry was ok, but she really was no good at consoling people. She would just tell people the truth, what she honestly thought and sometimes that was enough, but sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes people needed something more than the truth... and that something that people needed... Riza wasn't sure she had it.

Winry wanted to go with Miss Riza; one: because she liked her company; two: because she also wanted to visit Mr. Hughes; and three: because staying in a car alone seemed scary. On the other hand Miss Riza got Winry's purse back, offered to give her a car ride, was going to let her stay in her apartment and was going to help her look for Ed; could she really ask much more from her?

As it turned out, she really wouldn't have to:

Miss Riza turned to her, smiling warmly and said, "Come on, I'm sure Brigadier General Hughes will be ecstatic to have two people visit him on the same day."

As they walked across the cemetery, making their way to Hughes, Riza had to mentally correct herself. '_M__ake that five people.'_

* * *

Edited 01/29/2014 -Thank you Lydia609 for the huge help!


	2. An Old Ending part 2

Thanks so much for the reviews you guys, I really appreciate it! Here's part 2. Like I said, I know things are kinda slow in the beginning, but I need to get the ball rolling before I _really_ do something.

Disclaimer: Say it like this: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Arakawa-sensei. Now it's your turn!

Pride: Hell no.

* * *

Some days were filled with coincidences. A coincidence like finding out someone you hadn't seen in a long time was staying at the same hotel you were or like running into someone you hadn't seen for equally as long. I mean sure, it was in a place that said person is known for going, but what are the chances that said person would go to said place at the exact same time you were? But anyway, it was just a coincidence and coincidences happen right?

But then while you're there with that coincidence a second coincidence shows up! And that coincidence has a coincidence! In fact you know that coincidence's coincidence and you really start to wonder whether a coincidence is just a coincidence or if there's more to it. You're not even sure you _believe_ in coincidences! You should because somethings are too wierd to explain, but you're an alchemist. Alchemy is a science, it's precise and exact and an alchemist believes everything can be explained, therefore there is no such thing as coincidences; everything happens by design. Although alchemists don't believe in God... what do they believe in? ... Science! Yes! They believe in science! Science creates coincidences!

No wait... There are no coincidences... right.

Kinda confusing.

And then there was the reason all of those coincidences met (except for the first coincidence) and that reason was burried under the ground, who knows how many feet?

But never mind. Never mind, never mind. It didn't matter why there were coincidences and who caused them because what really mattered was how stupid you looked in front of that second coincidence and that coincidence's coincidence, but _especially_ that second coincidence. You _felt_ stupid... no, it was more acurate to say you felt _more_ stupid because you already felt stupid in the first place. Of course that tends to happen when a little girl is sitting on your shoulders, tugging at your hair and telling you to 'giddy up'.

"Come on Uncle Roy! Giddy up!"

His hair was being abused up to the point where it should be considered torture. He looked at Hughes' grave rather annoyed, "You must be enjoying this."

Mrs. Hughes was trying extremely hard not to laugh, "Sweetie maybe you should get off, you look like you're hurting him."

"No... it's fine," Roy said, although he made no effort to hide the pain in his voice.

"Now prance around!"

"You want me to do _what_?"

"_Prance around_! You know, like a horse, and then make a horse's sound, like this," she made a sound that sounded absolutely nothing like a horse, "now it's your turn... and don't forget to prance."  
Well _thank goodness_ she clarified _that_ for him, he would have _never_ been able to imitate a horse if she hadn't shown how it was done. Roy crossed his arms, hunched his shoulders and pouted, looking very much like a child.

"Absolutely not."

At this, Elisia frowned, she layed her chin on his head and said in an adorably unamused voice, "Uncle Roy... you promised."  
'Uncle Roy' grunted because he knew a defeat when he saw one. Oh well. He tried one last time appealing to the referee or judge or what have you, but to no avail.

Upon seeing the desperate look Roy was giving her (something like a puppy saying 'please adopt me') Gracia shrugged and threw in a sympathetic half smile, "You did technically promise."

He did promise. A week before he moved to East city he decided to visit Gracia and Elisia. He wasn't _that_ great with children - or good at all, really - , he couldn't make them laugh, or be that friendly, or make them comfortable in his presence and to tell you the truth, he didn't much care for them.

He got so amused by how ticklish the little girl was however, that he ended up playing tickle monster and what do you know it was fun! The little girl then asked if he would play horsie with her, but his body was pretty tired, so he said it wouldn't be a good ideia. It was about then that Mrs. Hughes came into the living room, she sat on the couch parallel to the one they were sitting on.

"My daddy used to play horsie all the time with me," Elisia said as she looked down, then she smiled and looked off into the distance as if she were looking at the memory itself and added, "it was really fun."

Mrs. Hughes gave her daughter a worried look as Roy's heart broke into pieces. He found himself saying, "Tell you what, next time I come around I'll play horsie with you."

Before he got the chance to ponder on whether or not he should have said this, Elisia went over and hugged him. He was caught totally off guard.

"Thank you Uncle Roy!"

His arms were up in surprise, but gently he put a hand on her head and another on her back, acknowledging the hug. He looked up at Mrs. Hughes and mouthed the word _uncle_ with a questioning look.

"Probably Hughes," she mused.

Of course it was Hughes, children don't call you uncle out of their own accord.

The hug didn't last long and after it ended, after he left, even after he was miles away from Central, he wondered whether he deserved it. Not just the hug, but the affection. Was a 'horsie ride' actually that important or did it mean something more to the little girl? Roy felt like it was the latter, but thinking about it reminded him painfully of Hughes, so he pushed it out of his mind.

Since then Roy would always call them to see how they were doing and interestingly enough, sometimes he would talk more to Elisia than to Mrs. Hughes. After a while the littlest things the girl said would impress him, up to a point where he wondered if he would become as obsessed as Hughes (probably not though, since Hughes holds the record for most obsessive parent and husband in Amestris, possibly the whole world). One of the things that impressed him the most was how sharp her memory was, every single time he called she reminded him about his promise.

And so there he was, about to look more stupid, when he effectively _looked more stupid_. He hadn't even begun to prance around or make idiotic noises, all he did was notice two figures approaching - one of which was unmistakable - and it was done. He wasn't the type to get easily embarassed, or embarassed at all for that matter, but with that particular person and this particular situation it was inevitable.

"Winry!"

_Winry?_ Right. That must be the second person. Where had he heard that name before? It was lucky that he had such a good memory when it came to women's names... _Oh right_, it was his stupid-disrespectful-ex-midget-subordinate's-and-his-nice-and-decent-brother's-chilhood friend (try saying that five times fast). What was she doing with Hawkeye?

"Come on Uncle Roy, giddy up!"

Elisia was so excited she could barely contain herself, she pulled on his "reigns" to ensure that her "horse" went faster and motioned for him to stop only a few meters from Winry.

"Hey Hawkeye, Miss Rockbell," Roy's tone was of genuine surprise.

The unexpected sight of Elisia on Roy's shoulders apeared to have momentarily robbed the two women of any words.

"Ok my faithful steed, heel!"

After a few seconds' pause she leaned into Roy's ears and whispered, loud enough for the two women to hear, "that means you're supposed to put me down."

Sure enough, the steed did as he was told and put her down.

The girl was like a wind up toy that had just been... well, _wound up_, as soon as he let go of her she started running toward Winry happily yelling her name.

Winry crouched down and opened her arms and was nearly knocked back by the little girl.

Riza looked up from them with a warm smile and looked at Roy, "hello General," there was an undertone of amusement in her voice. She then looked behind Roy and smiled at Mrs. Hughes who, in turn, smiled back.

"Hello Mrs. Hughes," Winry said as Elisia ended the hug.

Gracia waved at Winry, she was still a good deal away from everyone and was slowly making her way toward them. Her daughter looked up at Riza questioningly.

"This is Miss Riza Hawkeye," Winry explained.

"Nice to meet you," said Riza.

The little girl did not reply, she only looked at Riza for a second before turning around and walking past her. Everyone was astonished and confused by this, but what was more curious was the small girl's pacing around, with her hand on her chin and her extremly concentrated expression. Almost as soon as she began pacing, she stopped, looking at Riza with a mixture of concentration and genuine curiosity, "_Lieutenant_ Hawkeye?"

"Actually it's Captain now," said a bewildered Hawkeye (to which Ed would probably say, _'that's not what's wrong here!'_).  
Winry, who was still crouched looked up at Hawkeye and said with sincerity, "Oh, congratulations."

"Thank you."

The little girl put her hand back on her chin, once again deep in thought, as if to recall exactly when it was she heard the name. In a few short seconds she made a face of comprehension, "Ohhh," she said. She looked at the Captain and covered her mouth with both her hands as she surpressed a fit of giggles. Then she walked up to Hawkeye and extended her right hand, "It's nice to meet you Captain Hawkeye."

Riza smiled, she was still a bit confused, but she returned the handshake nonetheless, "You can call me Riza."

Much to Hawkeye's curiosity the little girl positively beamed, "Ok!"

She was running excitedly to her mother a second later. Riza looked at Roy questioningly. He shrugged, "She's like that."

Honestly... if hyperactivity was hereditary they knew where she got it from and it definately was _not_ from the calm and patient Mrs. Hughes.

Elisia beckoned her mother to lean forward so she could whisper something in her ear. _Sorry_, Gracia mouthed to the three of them as she leaned forward to see what her daughter wanted.

Nobody really wanted to intrude on that mother-daughter moment so the three of them were forced to pay attention to each other... which made things really awkward.

"Soo..." Winry started.

"Oh," Roy said suddenly, pointing at Winry as if there was something important that he needed to share...

"PLEASE!"

But that would have to wait 'till later: Elisia was using the whimpering puppy technique on her mother (Roy was sure because he knew that technique very well... incidently, so did Riza), she had taken a begging stance as an added bonus as she extended the word 'please' as far as it was willing to go. Her mother, as all mothers, naturally was completely unfazed by this and counter attacked with her unumused you're-overdoing- it look (Winry had seen her give Hughes that look _countless_ times).

Of course, that didn't mean that she thought her daughter's suggestion was a bad one. Her expression softened and the small smile that creeped on her face gradually made Elisia more excited.

"Ok, but you have to ask if they-"

Too late. The six year old was already running toward the three people acompanying them, she raised her arms high in the air and yelled, "Alright, everyone's coming to my house for tea and cookies!"

If Gracia wasn't such a composed person she woud have probably face palmed herself. Intead she opted for soflty placing her fingers on her forehead, _close enough to a face-palm_, she thought.

"Honey, I told you, you have to _ask_ if they can come."

"Please!"

Elisia was now using her begging-puppy combo on the three potential guests. Roy rubbed his chin.

"Will there be those delicious chocolate chip cookies you and your mother always make?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm, than I don't see why not."

"Yay!"

Winry and Riza looked at eachother. In any other ocassion Winry would say yes, but she _was_ accompanying Miss Riza. For the same reason Riza couldn't just accept, unless of course Winry wanted to go.

"You know, I _could_ use a body guard while I'm there... you never know what might happen..."

Riza looked at Roy with a very humorous are-you-serious face. Sometimes she didn't know why she bothered responding his stupid comments, but she just couldn't help it.

"You need a body guard so you can eat cookies and drink tea?"

Roy shrugged, "Don't underestimate the dangers of eating cookies."

"You _are_ a General, if they're that dangerous just ban them."

"Hm, that doesn't sound like a bad ideia," he said thoughtfuly.

"Noo," Elisia said, exasperated, "don't get rid of cookies!"

The three adults and the one teenager laughed.

Winry and Riza looked at each other again and came to an understanding.

"Alright," said Riza, still laughing, "I'll go."

"Me too," said Winry, happily.

Perhaps it was a bit of an odd group to be together, but to Elisia the group made perfect sense: Her daddy, her mommy, her sister, her uncle and - most probably - her future auntie.

Now if only her brothers were here...

* * *

"Winry is going to kill me!"

Ed was looking down at the tiny scrap of paper he held in his hand, his face had gone all white. He was standing in a rather luxurious living room where golden streams seemed to be splashed onto everything from the walls to the couch to the pillows.

"Don't tell me you got the time mixed up," Al said, sighing.

He came out of the kitchen drying his hands with a dish towel. Ed didn't respond, instead he just looked at his brother guiltily. Al frowned, right, he had to stay calm, overeacting wouldn't do any good.

"What time is Winry actually supposed to arrive," he asked slowly.

Ed looked down at the paper, "Elev... eleven-o-clock."

Al turned his head, almost in slow motion, toward the grandfather clock near the sofa of the living room. 12:35. He looked at his older brother scornfully.

"I thought you were sure you knew the time! How did you find out you were wrong?"

Ed was still looking at the piece of paper in shock.

"I thought I was sure," he mumbled and added numbly, "Winry told me to write it down just in case though... I just didn't really think I needed to check..."

Alphonse sighed, he really was no good at _staying_ angry at his brother, instead he just felt sorry for him.

"Come on, we'd better hurry," said Al, grabbing his coat from the couch, leaving the dish towel and making his way toward the door.

"You're right though, she _is_ going to kill you."

"Little brother protect me!"

Al had slightly opened the door when he turned to his brother grinning, "No way brother, you can deal with Winry's wrath on your own."

Both Elrics made their way into the hallway and started walking toward the stair case at the end of the hall.

"Are you kidding?! You owe me! If it weren't for me Winry would be really angry at you right now."

"If it weren't for _you_ Winry wouldn't _have_ a reason to be angry with me. Besides, she would have been angry with you too if you had told her the truth."

"Ya, ya," Ed said, dissmissing his brother's words.

Al looked at Ed who was limping by his side.

"Speaking of which, will you be alright," he asked gesturing towards Ed's metal leg.

"I'll be fine. Let's just hope it doesn't break down while we're getting there," Edward responded as he and Al decended the stairs, down towards the lobby.

They made their way through the lobby as Al said, "I think you mean _running_ there," and he tapped his index and middle fingers twice on his wrist watch.

Ed looked at his own wrist watch, "No, I think I mean _racing_ there," there was an unmistakable panic in his voice.

Both Elrics quickened their paces.

"Alright brother, but if you can't keep up I'm leaving you behind."

"What happened to brothers sticking together 'till the end?"

The two brothers reached the sidewalk, the words 'Charlotte's Hotel' looming over them.

Ed reached out one finger towards the street, "Taxi!"

Al joined his side and said, "Sorry, but I remember all too well the dent Winry left on my suit of armor with her wrench and I just don't think my body could take it."

"Oh, and my body _could_," Ed asked retorically.

"You're body has developed a tolerance toward it. How else can somebody survive Winry's wrench multiple times?"

"Luck and willpower."

The taxi pulled up beside them and both boys got in.

"Where to," asked the balding driver.

"Central train station," Alphonse answered.

About two minutes after the car took off from the hotel Edward turned toward his younger brother and whispered, "Al, I think you'll have to transmute some gold."

Al looked at his brother as if he were crazy.

"Why?"

"I forgot my wallet."

Al gave his brother a stern look. _You're so irresponsible._

"_I_ brought my wallet."

"Good job little brother!"

"Well at least one of us has to be responsible," Ed was squeazing his leg again, Al noticed, "are you sure you'll be ok?"

Sometimes Al worried way too much about him, Ed thought, then again, sometimes they worried way too much about each other.

Ed read Al's face easily, "It's not hurting or anything, it just... feels wierd."

"You mentioned that before, but how is it wierd?"

"I know it sounds strange, because it's a metal limb, but it feels like it's going numb or... I don't know... getting tingly?"

"Well tell me if it starts to hurt or stops working."

Ed nodded in return and a minute later Al was shaking his head.

"I can't believe you stood up your girlfriend."

Ed's mouth was gaping open in disbelief and his face became all red as he tried to find words to reply to that.

"This... this was not a date!"

"I don't think it matters brother, it's still not a very good way to start a relationship."

Ed crossed his arms, looked out the window in annoyance and mumbled like defiant child, "What do you know about relationships?"

"Certainly a lot more than you do," Al said laughing.

Ed smiled, turned towards his brother and said mockingly, "Oh ya, well when you have a girlfriend then you can criticize me."

Al couldn't really take his brother's point away. A girlfriend huh? Well there wasn't anyone he specifically liked. Who knows? Maybe during his travels he'd find someone. 'Till then he'd be content with helping his brother manage his own relationship and teasing him about it too.

The older Elric was looking out the window with a determined expression.

"Calm down brother, we'll be there in five minutes," Al said reassuringly.

Ed's determined expression was usually there to hide some other emotion and Al could tell it was fear.

Ed wasn't just scared if Winry was angry at him though, he was worried if Winry was alright. Was she safe? Could anything have happened to her? He wouldn't mind so much having her yell at him as long as he knew she was ok. _Please be ok Winry._


End file.
